Paperweights
by Kagehime3
Summary: A GaLe one-shot dump, some interconnected, but most not. Warning, rating may go up in the future; T for now to be safe. Will accept word prompts, too.  Chapter 6: Hiding spot
1. It's Me?

**So I'm making a GaLe one-shot dump. I have a lot of ideas swimming around in my head, and they're interfering with A Little Push at the moment (don't worry everyone, I do have up to chapter 13 written already), so I figured I'd do this to try and get everything out when it comes to me. Most of these will be random, some will be directly related to manga chapters (similar to After the Chariot), but others will be interconnected (I'll label those). I may include some other pairings sporadically as well, but this will probably be exclusively Gajeel and Levy stories. I will also take prompt suggestions, though they may not be done immediately, to try and help spur some of my creativity.**

**Oh, and starting out this will be rated T, but I may up it to M if I suddenly get a naughty story idea that doesn't fit neatly into any other story or has enough plot to be independent.**

**Anyway, this first one has been bugging me for quite some time, it started out as Lily teasing Gajeel, then suddenly evolved into a "Guess who Levy has a crush on" game.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Gajeel, Levy, Lily, Bunny Girl, Salamandar, Gray-sama, etc, etc, so forth and so on. Hiro Mashima is the mastermind behind them all.**

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><p>Sitting quietly at the bar, munching on some scrap pieces of iron, Gajeel found himself constantly glancing at a table to his right where the short bluenette, Levy, sat talking and giggling with her best friend, Lucy. He was watching them because their topic of conversation was not something he liked hearing about. Apparently the solid script mage had a crush on someone in the guild, and whoever it was; Gajeel was going to give them a good beating. The girls, though, didn't seem inclined to say his name, but for whatever reason he kept catching the bookworm peeking at him before she erupted into a fit of more giggles. The iron dragon slayer was seriously getting annoyed, but he wasn't about to show it and possibly give away anything.<p>

"Will you stop staring, Gajeel," the deep voice of his Exceed, Pantherlily, lectured.

"I wanna know who they're talking about." Gajeel grumbled back, keeping his attention on the girls as he spoke.

"Why do you even care?" Lily asked, not bothering to hold back his knowing smile since his partner wasn't even paying looking at him.

"Just be quiet, I'm trying to listen."

"Seriously, you've actually resorted to eavesdropping? Why don't you just ask her who she's got a crush on?"

"Tsh," Gajeel snorted, "like she'd tell me that. Anyway, she'd just question why I was asking in the first place."

"Which brings me back to my original question, why do you even care?"

The dragon slayer merely glanced at Lily from the corner of one red eye before rolling his eyes and returning his not so subtle attention to the two women a few yards away. The cat, of course, was not surprised by the lack of response; he already knew the answer to his question anyway, and he was going to make sure Gajeel knew it.

"You lllllllllliiiiiiiiike her," he whispered quietly to Gajeel, anticipating what was sure to be an amusing reaction.

"WHAT?" The black haired man hollered before unceremoniously falling off of his barstool onto his back, staring up at the Exceed in wide-eyed shock. "Wha-… you… You've been spending too much time with Salamander's cat!"

"Maybe," Lily chuckled at the man, "but that doesn't mean it isn't any less true."

Gajeel could only lay there gaping like a fish as he tried to come up with some sort of denial to his cat's accusation, and will away the faint blush that easily gave away his true thoughts. Before he had a chance to say anything more, though, he was interrupt by light footsteps making their way to his spot on the floor, stopping just by his head. The new presence quickly drew the iron mage's attention as he heard Levy's soft giggle before meeting her amused gaze.

"Is Lily teasing you, Gajeel?" the bluenette asked, knowing that the only reason Gajeel would be in that position was if he was being teased by his partner.

"Tsh," he huffed while turning his face away from the girl, opting to scowl at a brawl breaking out on the other side of the guild. He was desperately trying to ignore the fact that Levy was wearing her favorite orange dress; and that if he moved slightly to the right he'd be able to find out exactly what she wore beneath it.

Levy continued to giggle at the obviously embarrassed and flustered mage while turning her attention to her favorite cat.

"Lily," she said admonishingly, gaining a grin from the Exceed, "what did you say to him?"

Lily barely got his mouth open to answer before Gajeel bolted from his spot on the floor, clasping a hand over the cat's mouth to keep him quiet.

"Don't you dare, Lily," the dragon growled out, glaring at his partner when he felt him smirking beneath his hand.

"Come on, Gajeel, it can't be that bad," the bluenette joked, leaning towards the large man with a sweet smile on her face.

Gajeel only growled in response before yelling out in pain as Lily chose that time to bite down on his hand, forcing the man to release him.

"FUCK! Lily! That fucking hurt, damn cat!"

Levy tried to hide her amusement, but it was always hard when Gajeel and Lily were together, their partnership was always entertaining.

"So, Lily?" She asked expectantly.

"Oh no, oh don't you dare!" The dragon slayer once again interrupted, pointing an accusing finger at the cat; that hadn't even bothered to try and answer yet. "If you say one word, Lily, I swear I'll turn myself into a lightening rod the next time you try to cuddle during a thunderstorm."

The cat could only glare at the dragon's threat, knowing full well that he'd follow through on it if he did tell Levy what they had been talking about. With a sigh of defeat, Lily just turned to shrug at the woman, who was too amused at the time to really care that she wasn't going to get an answer.

"I won't say anything," Lily grunted with a frown, obviously not happy that his fun was ruined; at least until he remembered what had started it all. The cat let himself grin again as he took in the script mage in front of them, deciding that if he couldn't tease Gajeel about his feelings, he might as well tease Levy about her own. "So Levy, I was wondering who you have a crush on. I've been hearing rumors but none say who it is. So, who's the lucky guy?"

Gajeel's attention immediately went to the short woman as all hints of amusement were wiped from her face, instead a bright red blush and wide eyes taking its place. He grinned at her, as well, just barely managing to hold back his signature chuckle as it was her turn to stutter and shuffle with her nervousness.

"Ummm, well… hey, look at the time, I should be going!"

As Levy turned to try and escape the potentially embarrassing scene, she was stopped by a firm hand on her wrist, forcing her to turn and face the wild grin on Gajeel's face.

"Come on, Shrimp! I promise not to make fun of you too much." The iron mage chided the girl, trying to pass off his curiosity as nothing more than humor.

"Ummm, but... ahh…" The bluenette attempted to say something to get away, but her mind just could not come up with any excuse to leave. Her only hope was some sort of distraction, like Natsu picking a fight, but with Lucy dominating the fire dragon slayer's attention at that time, it wasn't looking too promising.

"If you're not gonna tell us, Shorty; then we'll just be forced to guess." Gajeel tried again before turning to smile down at his partner, glad that the cat gave him an excuse to pry into the girl's love life. "What do you think, Lily? Who's the kind of guy she'd go for?"

Lily, of course, already knew the answer, but he wasn't about to tell Gajeel that and give away all the fun, so instead, he played along with the large man.

"Well, I'm sure she'd go for someone smart, someone she could talk to about books or her magic."

"Hmmm," Gajeel hummed in thought while inconspicuously glancing around the guild, still holding the girl's wrist, even after having pulled her onto the stool he had fallen off of only moments earlier. "Smart; the only smart guy in the guild that I can think of is Freed."

"It's not Freed," Levy sighed, giving up any chance of getting away, as she laid her head on the bar. "He's too obsessed with Laxus, plus I don't really care about a guy with book smarts. I like the idea of being the brains in the relationship."

"Gi hee," the dragon chuckled at the girl, ruffling her hair with his free hand as she turned her head to look at him. "Guess that makes sense, plus it makes guessing even harder. I like a challenge."

"So, someone with more brawn than brain," Lily mused, forcing down his knowing grin as he glanced at his partner's hand that had loosened it's grip on her, but still kept a light contact with the girl. "That certainly is harder to choose from. Elfman?"

Levy only snorted at his rather lame attempt at a guess, not even bothering to give a reason why it wasn't him.

"Bixlow?" Gajeel guessed next, earning a raised eyebrow from the girl whose expression clearly said _'Where the hell did you even get that?'_

"Too old, I think, which means Laxus is also out" Lily mused, "Max?"

"Naw, I don't think it's him, and isn't he technically older than her now, what with that whole 7 years blank time?" The iron dragon responded instead of the girl, who had her face hidden by her arm, though she rolled her eyes at the guess.

"Good point, so then we can rule out the members who weren't on Tenrou Island."

"So that leaves Salamandar, Stripper, and Loke." Gajeel counted off the only remaining eligible men from the S-class exams that they hadn't already guessed. "But Loke's a spirit and a womanizer, so it's probably not him."

"You're kinda forgetting someone," Levy quietly said under her breath, though Gajeel heard it, anyway, as he turned to stare at her in confusion. The script mage could only stare back at the man in disbelief. "Seriously, you can't think of one other man who was on that island with me?"

The iron mage merely blinked at her, before glancing at his cat who was giving him a look identical to the bluenette's, a look that was clearly calling him an idiot.

"Well, we already ruled out older men, so I know it wasn't Gildartz or Master."

While Lily smacked his paw against his face, Levy let her head slam down against the bar, partially relieved that he had forgotten to include himself, but at the same time wondering how he could have left himself out.

"What? So it's not Salamandar or Stripper, then?" Gajeel questioned, looking between his cat and the woman who was shaking her head against the bar in exasperation.

With a huff, Levy picked herself up from the stool to stand facing the taller mage, one hand still held captive, albeit loosely. As she stared up at him with an annoyed frown, she raised her free hand to Gajeel's forehead and smacked her palm against his pierced brow. Her actions earned a glare as he moved to tighten his hold on her other hand, only to have it slip from his reach before he could capture it again.

"I'll give you a hint, Gajeel, since you seem so keen on knowing," Levy said while turning to walk away. "You'll know who I have a crush on once you figure out who you forgot to include from the island."

With that said, the short woman stomped out of the guild, obviously annoyed as she even glared at her two teammates to prevent them from following her. Gajeel continued to stare after her, long after the doors had closed behind her, slumping back into his stool again as he tried to go through the options in his head again. After a few minutes of surprisingly intense contemplation, he still couldn't come up with anything, so he turned to his trusty cat for the answer.

"I knew beforehand, but I'm not going to tell you who it is," Lily said to his partner before he could even ask. "She said for you to figure it out, and honestly, if you can't, then you probably don't deserve to know."

Not getting any answers from the Exceed, Gajeel was forced to rely on his own mind to try and think up the answer. He knew he was forgetting someone, but, for the life of him, he just could not grasp onto that last face. The iron dragon ended up going home shortly after to think without the constant distractions present at the guild, eventually deciding to sleep on it and hope to have an answer when he woke in the morning.

He had his answer by midnight.

"Holy shit! It's me?"

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><p><strong>I had to do it, I've been desperately envisioning Lily pulling a Happy and teasing Gajeel, so I just had to do it. Then it got kinda out of control. Anyway, I will probably do a part 2 to this, since it just came to me as I was editing this, lol.<strong>


	2. It's Me? Part 2

**Alrighty! As promised, Gajeel's reaction to figuring out who Levy has a crush on.**

**Disclaimer: really, I think you all know by now that I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters... so blah blah blah... Hiro Mashima  
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><p>"Holy shit! It's me?"<p>

Gajeel sat up in bed with a start as he jolted himself out of a dream that happened to be about his time with Levy on Tenrou Island, reminding him of who he had forgotten to include in the list of Levy's potential crushes. He never really considered that she'd ever like him as more than a friend; he honestly felt lucky to even be allowed to talk to her much less have a chance at dating her. To say he was shocked at this revelation was certainly an understatement; he would have been frozen in place if he had only been shocked. Instead, he was a frantic mess of emotions that spurred him to leap from his bed, knocking the sleeping Lily onto the floor in the process, and bolt from his home in nothing but a pair of loose black shorts.

"Huh?" Lily grunted as he watched his partner run out the door. "Guess he figured it out."

With a shrug the black cat slipped back into the bed, burrowing under the covers as he thought on how interesting it was going to be at the guild the next morning.

As the iron dragon ran through the streets of Magnolia, there was only one thing on his mind: Levy. He didn't pay any mind to the cool night air biting at his exposed skin, nor the rocks cutting into his bare feet. His was entirely focused on getting to the girls' dorm, what he'd do once he got there, though, he hadn't the slightest idea.

Once he crested the hill leading to Fairy Hills, he just let his instincts guide him as he quickly found Levy's room from the scent of books coming from one of the windows, and leapt up to climb inside. Unfortunately, he wasn't aware of the bookworm's organizational skills, or lack there of, and landed on a precariously piled stack of books set by the window he chose as his entrance. The second he stepped on the books, they immediately swayed and collapsed under him, sending him toppling into another large stack that then fell atop him.

Gajeel could only hold his breath as his senses came back to him, waiting for the solid script mage to come out from her bedroom to investigate the source of the noise. He idly realized that it was a good thing Erza was off on a solo mission, i.e. secret romantic rendezvous with a certain blue haired fugitive with a cool face tattoo, so he didn't have to worry about her coming to find him there.

After a few minutes without the short woman coming out, Gajeel poked his head out from the books to try and catch some sound or scent that might indicate where she was. Once he heard the sound of her gentle breathing in the bedroom he figured she had slept through the chaos, more than likely used to books falling at random.

As quietly as possible, the large dragon slayer extricated himself from the mountain of literature, finally freeing himself after five minutes of clawing and having seven more books decide to fall and land on his head. Once completely free, the iron mage crept towards the bedroom, or at least what appeared to serve as a bedroom despite the novels that invaded the whole of the room, even half of the bed.

Gajeel couldn't help but grin as he made his way to the sleeping woman, strewn out on her back with an open book lying next to her; she was without a doubt a beautiful sight to him. Feeling rather mischievous, he gently lifted the covers off of Levy's form, slipping under them to hold his body over her own and wait for the right moment to wake her.

"Hmmm," the bluenette groaned softly as she searched for the blankets that had been draped over her.

The dragon could only continue to grin as her cute face was pulled into a frown, her brows scrunching in confusion as she tried to turn on her side, only to be hindered by the man who had positioned himself between her legs.

"Gi hee," Gajeel chuckled, prompting the girl beneath him to finally peek her eyes open, blinking in confusion at the face hovering above her own, the soft light of the moon the only light to help her see him.

"Gajeel?"

"Yo."

"…"

"…"

"What are you doing here?" Levy finally asked after a few moments of staring at the man, oddly calm for having awoken to a new presence in her bedroom.

"I figured it out," was all he said, chuckling as she pouted in confusion at his answer.

"Figured what out?"

"Don't tell me you already forgot, Shrimp?" Gajeel prodded, letting his body sink slightly so his bare chest brushed against her. "Earlier? Our little guessing game?"

The solid script mage immediately woke up with the reminder, going wide eyed and blushing as she took in the grin on the dragon slayer's face.

"Gi hee, so you remember now?"

Levy nodded quickly before taking a deep breath and forcing herself to relax, reminding herself that just because he said he figured it out didn't mean he actually had it right, though if she were being honest with herself his position above her made it obvious that he had the right answer.

"So, then who did you come up with?" The bluenette asked, trying to deny the fact that he did know who she had a crush on.

Gajeel only shook his head at the woman, sending her a fanged smirk as he laid down on her even more, letting their bodies mold together while he leaned on his forearms to try and keep his weight from crushing the slender mage.

"Nope, before that I think it's your turn." The iron dragon teased, chuckling again as she went back to staring at him in confusion.

"My turn to what?"

"Guess who I like." He answered, leaning his face down to press his forehead against hers.

At this point Levy couldn't deny what was happening any longer, the feel of Gajeel's body lying atop hers sent her into such a euphoric state that she couldn't help but feel giddy and want to play along. Feigning a look of confused innocence she decided to make her first guess.

"Hmmm, Lucy?"

"Nope."

"Okay, Cana?"

"Wrong again, Shrimp."

"Well then, maybe Mira?"

Gajeel could only chuckle as she obviously teased him, slanting his face slightly as he leaned in further, letting his lips brush hers as he spoke.

"Need a hint?"

"Maybe," Levy hummed in reply, failing to hold back her excited grin as Gajeel closed the little distance left and gave her a soft, chaste kiss.

When he pulled away, the iron dragon couldn't help but grin back at the still smiling girl, and moved to slide his arms under her to embrace her more.

"So, you figure it out yet?"

"Hmmm, I don't know," the bluenette mused teasingly, letting her hands, that had been resting on his chest, brush over his form before wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think I may need another hint."

"Gi hee," he chuckled again, leaning back down to capture her lips in another kiss, holding them longer as he massaged them with his own before pulling away again.

"I think I'm really close this time," Levy continued, not so subtly pulling Gajeel back down again, "one more hint and I might have it."

Gajeel didn't waste anymore time with the teasing after that, instead moving to give her a searing kiss, nudging her slightly parted lips open to tangle his tongue with hers. He groaned at the taste of her, the feel of her body pushing back against his, her hands tangling in his long mane; everything felt so overwhelmingly amazing that he nearly lost himself to her.

After a few minutes of kissing each other senseless, the iron slayer forced himself to pull away again, nearly regretting his decision as he took in Levy's bruised lips, tangled hair, and dazed expression that all called out to him to go back to what they were doing. Instead he forced himself to keep control, rolling them to the side so he could lay with her wrapped in his arms.

"So I take it I'm right?" Gajeel asked, the woman's smile and soft expression all the answer he needed as he brushed as stray blue lock from her face. "And I also assume you figured it out, too?"

This time Levy giggled while sending him a devilish smile he couldn't help but think was hot, before answering him with a shrug.

"I still don't have a clue; you'll just have to keep giving me hints until I finally get it."

"Gi hee, I think I can handle that," he chuckled, swooping in to give her as many hints as she needed, or wanted, that night.

By the time morning rolled around, Levy still hadn't gotten it, but Gajeel certainly didn't mind and was more than willing to spend the entire day, if not his entire life, helping her get the right answer.


	3. Never Let Natsu Babysit

**Okay, so I came up with this one the other night when I was watching Jo Koy's standup special on Comedy Central. He had made a comment about how babysitters seem to always feed your kids sugary foods so they're never asleep when you get home, and instead have become little hyperactive crack heads that you can't understand. So, I figured it was a good idea for a daddy Gajeel story, lol... and who better to put his kid in that condition than Natsu!**

**Anyway, I suck at names, but for a little fun fact on the names I picked: Kaida means little dragon and Drake means dragon... we know Gajeel likes his dragons. Also, for those who have never had kids or haven't known enough pregnant women, Braxton-Hicks contractions are false contractions that women can get throughout their pregnancy, but tend to become more intense at the later stages before birth. I needed a good reason for why Natsu was suddenly left in charge of a toddler, so that's what I picked.**

**So, I hope you enjoy Gajeel's torture (he can always blame it on Sting).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or it's characters, they belong to Hiro Mashima. I only hold the creative rights to Kaida and Drake in this story... but honestly, if anyone wants to steal them, I don't really care.**

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><p>On a peaceful, sunny afternoon, Gajeel found himself sitting outside of Magnolia Elementary School; staring at the building as he waited in utter boredom. A stranger to Magnolia walking by would probably worry about the large, dangerous looking man sitting on a bench by the entrance, but the town's residents all knew that he was merely waiting for his 5 year old daughter, Kaida, to finish for the day.<p>

It was common knowledge at the school that, as long as he wasn't away on a mission, the iron dragon slayer would always be the one to drop off and pick up his first born at school. Despite his gruff appearance, he was a very loving and protective father who took great pride in his growing family. Most days Gajeel would bring his 3 year old son, Drake, to play on the playground while they waited, and some days his blue haired wife, Levy would join them. This day, though, he came alone, thus explaining his boredom.

Levy was off on a mission with Team Shadow Gear, and Lily was sent off with her because, well, Gajeel didn't trust her two partners to keep her safe, and he was banned from going on missions with them after they learned, the hard way, that he couldn't control his violent urges toward her teammates. After his first, and last, mission with the group 6 years earlier, Levy refused to talk to the dragon slayer for a week after he knocked Jet out with a single punch. The speed mage had asked for, Gajeel reasoned at the time; you don't hit on another man's girl right in front of him, even if they aren't officially dating yet, without expecting to get hurt.

As for his youngest, Drake was back at the guild with his Aunt Lucy and Uncle Natsu, who had volunteered to watch him while Gajeel picked up his daughter. The iron mage didn't have a problem with the blonde spirit mage taking care of his son, she had done so plenty of times in the past, but he had been quite hesitant about letting Natsu be involved. Mirajane had interfered with his protests, though, by reminding Gajeel that Lucy was 8 months pregnant and couldn't be expect to keep up with a toddler on her own, plus it would be good for Natsu to get some practice before his first child was born. So, he begrudgingly left his son with his fellow dragon slayer, with the intent to get back to the guild as quickly as he could.

'_Damn, I still got a bad feeling about this,'_ Gajeel mused as he leaned back on the bench, staring up at the clouds drifting lazily by. _'But Bunny Girl will be with him, plus if she needs help, Mira's there.'_

The dragon slayer was drawn from his musings as the bell rang to signal the end of the school day and the sounds of children began to trickle from the building as they ran screaming for their parents. Gajeel didn't move to watch for Kaida, though, instead he continued to stare at the sky while letting his sense of smell pick her out from the crowd. As he noticed her scent getting stronger, he held back his grin as he figured out that the small girl was trying to sneak up on him. Kaida had a talent for walking so lightly even he had a hard time picking up the sounds of her footsteps, and with all the children running around, there was no way for him to discern her movements from all the others. If he had a cold, then she'd probably succeed in her plans, but since he could smell her from a mile away he knew what she was up to and merely waited.

The iron mage didn't have to wait long, as he heard the telltale sound of her weight shifting on the ground that came from her leaping towards him. The only movement he made was lifting his arms to catch the kindergartener mid air, letting her hover above his grinning face.

"Daddy!" Kaida pouted, her wavy black hair falling over her face as she stared down at the man. Gajeel knew she wasn't mad though, as her caramel eyes held nothing but happiness.

"Gi hee," he chuckled, shifting her as he stood, holding her at his hip as he began the walk back to the guild. "Not bad, Squirt, but you know I can always find ya."

The girl didn't bother trying to pout any longer, instead moving to grab a lock of her father's hair to braid as they walked, enjoying the time alone him.

"Where's Drake at?" She asked distractedly, far too focused on her task of beautifying the gruff man.

"With Bunny Girl and Salamander," Gajeel answered, glancing at the girl when she nodded in understanding. "So how was school today?"

"Awesome! I made a pretty picture of what I think Grandpa would look like!" Kaida enthused, taking a break from her braiding to smile up at the man. Gajeel couldn't help but chuckle as he wondered what his foster father would think about being referred to as 'Grandpa.' "And we also got to read Beauty and the Beast!"

"You always get to read that story, though."

"I know, but it's my favorite!"

"Yeah, yeah. You and your mom are both total bookworms." Gajeel teased, grinning as she glared at him.

"You should be nice, daddy, that's my favorite fairy tale because it reminds me of you and mom!"

"I know, and your mom had to go putting that idea in yer head," he grunted, pouting slightly as he was once again reminded of how beastly he can be. Gajeel was distracted, though, as his daughter leaned up to grab his cheeks with her tiny hands, turning his face so he could see her happy smile.

"But just like the story you and mommy got a happy ending!"

"Yeah… we certainly did," he agreed, leaning down to touch his nose against hers, drawing out a giggle from Kaida as he nuzzled her.

Their sweet father-daughter moment was cut short as they approached the guild and Gajeel could make out the ever present sounds of chaos that existed at Fairy Tail. His earlier worry came back a hundred fold as the most prominent noise he heard was Natsu's insane laughter and wild screaming that sounded like it came from his son. The iron mage shared a look with the girl in his arms before pushing open the heavy doors of the guild, and stepping into sheer chaos beyond any he had seen before.

Gajeel stopped dead in his tracks, staring wide eyed and slack jawed at the sight before him, Kaida's expression no different. Looking around he could only feel panic as he realized that there was no Lucy, there was no Mira, and even his last hope in Wendy had vanished. He knew Juvia and Lisanna had gone off on a mission, so it was no use looking for them. Out of everyone left in the guild, the most responsible was Laxus, and he seemed more interested in sitting at the bar, nursing a beer, than trying to take charge of the insanity.

On top of one of the tables, Natsu was dancing and laughing, Max on the floor beneath him with his pants down. Elfman was standing by the bar shouting about Natsu needing to be more manly with children. At another table Bixlow sat with a very drunk Cana, laughing hysterically as his babies flew around the room. Those dolls were what really had Gajeel's heart racing, as standing atop them was his son, screaming like a banshee as he flew around the room. As the dragon slayer managed to regain enough sense to walk down the few steps into the main bar area, he noticed that his son's dark blue hair had been shaved and styled in a Mohawk similar to the laughing Raijinshuu member, only without the two extra bits on the sides. As he continued to watch the scene unfold, he cursed the fact that, out of everyone in the guild, the seith wizard just had to take a strong liking to his son.

"Alright, Drake!" Bixlow suddenly hollered out, not noticing the fact that the boy's father had returned. "I'm gonna go in for the kill! Ya ready?"

Drake merely screamed something unintelligible while crouching down on the flying dolls, obviously preparing to jump. As they descended towards the hollering Elfman, Gajeel's heart stopped when his 3 year suddenly leapt for the muscle-bound man, tackling his head and forcing him to the ground. If the take-over sibling hadn't had the sense to grab hold of the boy as they fell, Gajeel would have killed the man.

"Oi! Metal-head! You're back!" Natsu hollered over the shouts and screams, jumping off the table to make his way to the confused and frightened father.

"What the hell happened? Where's Bunny Girl?" Gajeel asked the other dragon slayer, as he continued to watch as his son wriggled free from the silver haired man and bolted for his next target, laughing with his tongue hanging out, no doubt trying to imitate Bixlow. The new target, though, had Gajeel wishing his son hadn't inherited his fearlessness, as the hyperactive toddler had gone running straight for the frowning Laxus. The master's grandson was surprisingly good with kids, but Gajeel was certain that he'd never have the patience to deal with his son's current behavior.

"Well, she wasn't feeling good, something about bratty hits contradictions, I don't know," he began to explain.

"Braxton Hicks contractions," Gajeel and Kaida corrected at the same time, both watching the younger Redfox as he was stopped from pouncing on the lightening mage with a surprisingly gentle foot to the chest. Drake tried to push against the outstretched leg, flailing his arms around to try and grab hold of the limb. Laxus for his part only watched the kid from the corner of one eye as he went back to drinking his beer in peace.

"Yeah, those, anyway," Natsu continued, "Mira and Wendy took her up to the infirmary about 10 minutes ago to check her out. Mira was going to stay but I told her you'd be back soon enough and I could keep an eye on the kid for a few minutes."

"Wait, this all happened in the last ten minutes?" Gajeel hollered, only to be ignored as Natsu went on.

"So Drakey started saying he was hungry, and I can't cook, but I found all kinds of candies and stuff. He's seriously got your appetite! We had an eating contest and he was totally keeping up with me!" the dragon slayer remarked, pointing at a table completely covered with wrappers. "Laxus didn't think it'd be a good idea, but he didn't try to stop us."

"WHAT? LAXUS! You let him do this?"

"Oi, it's not my problem you were stupid enough to let flame-head have any involvement with watching your brat." Laxus grunted, his comment finally getting Drake's attention as the boy turned his gleaming red eyes toward his father, temporarily forgetting his current target.

"Oh shit," Gajeel grunted, quickly putting Kaida down so he could brace himself for what was bound to come.

"DADDY!" Drake screeched out before making a mad dash towards the grimacing man, chanting the whole way, his cries blurring into one long word. "Daddydaddydaddy dadadadadadddaaaadaddyyyyyy!"

The iron dragon slayer had been ready to catch his son as he ran at full speed for him, except at the last possible moment the toddler on a sugar high pushed off to tackle the man head first in the gut, driving Gajeel backwards onto the steps, breath completely knocked out of him. To make matters worse, once he landed sprawled over the stairs, his son decided to use him as a trampoline as he continued to shout.

"Dadadadadaadaadada!... Uncie Nasu! And!... Bislow! And then!... Hahahahaha!"

Gajeel was sure he was trying to tell him about the last few minutes but everything came out as an indiscernible blur of words, only Natsu and Bixlow's names making any sense to him. Eventually the boy moved off of him to do random poses while continuing to blabber on about his day. The iron dragon had no hope of keeping up with his rapid movements; one second he was doing one of Natsu's victory poses, the next he was literally spinning on his head, then the next he was doing cartwheels. All the while Natsu and Bixlow continued to laugh at the child, both men thoroughly entertained by the insanity.

When Gajeel felt a soft and comforting hand on his arm, he immediately thought that his precious, beautiful little dragon princess was trying to console him. Instead he found himself frowning when he met her mocking eyes and smile, a trait she undoubtedly got from him.

"Daddy," his sweet, innocent baby girl started, "You… are fucking screwed."

He couldn't help but groan at her words, his attention caught again when Bixlow suddenly hollered out as Drake began to throw up all of the candy onto the blue haired man.

"Yeah," Gajeel grunted, his head falling back onto the floor behind him. "Fucking screwed, alright."

* * *

><p><strong>Another little note: I was originally planning on having Laxus get puked on, but I figured Bixlow deserved it more since he was the one stupid enough to let a kid fly around the guild after eating a ton of candy.<strong>

**Oh, and how did you all like that extra sugary beginning... Gajeel loves his baby girl.**

**And for those of you who read Bleach, I imagined Drake pulling of chibi Nel's super speed tackle into Ichigo's gut.  
><strong>


	4. The Drunk Falcon continued

**Alright, another one shot that's been stabbing me in the head for weeks now, so I had to get it out for you. This, obviously, takes place after the Drunk Falcon chapter. It's my take on what happened after Levy hugged Gajeel from behind... as far as I'm concerned, this is what happened... and it helps explain where those two have disappeared to after Gajeel's game *wink*wink*... lol.**

**And to explain a few things in the story: First, I'm insanely curious about that book Levy got in the celestial realm... for some reason I can't stop thinking that it's going to be important at some point... why else mention something like that when we all know she likes books. So I've decided to guess at what the book might be about, I pulled it out of no where, but it worked with the plot of the story, so if I'm wrong, whatever. Second, I'm assuming that the teams are staying together since we saw that Natsu's team is staying in the same room, so I figure B team is doing the same... so that explains the end. Lastly, if you wish to take the end as a Laxus x Mira hint, feel free, I know a lot of you have noticed my affinity to that pairing, but it's not really meant as a hint, I just like writing them when doing stories based on the latest chapters (for reference see "After the Chariot"... shameless plug, I know). And yes, I included the anime's dance! *Insert fangirl squeal*  
><strong>

**Anyway, enjoy! I have another story that might be broken into 3 or 4 parts coming after this... so for those reading "A Little Push" (yes, another shameless plug) it might partially interfere with chapter 14, but I'm going to try and focus on that before the next set of one-shots here... but sometimes they just won't go away long enough to let me write.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, if I did, this would be close to what happened at the end of the first day.**

* * *

><p>"Oh oh… you've become such a peace loving guy, Laxus." The iron dragon slayer, Gajeel Redfox, teased the older S-class mage; patting him on the head condescendingly despite the death glare he was receiving from the lightening mage.<p>

Before the blonde man, or his Raijinshuu, could retaliate, Gajeel found himself distracted as slender arms wrapped around his waist from behind and a soft, warm body pressed against his back.

"Gajeel, stop it!" Levy McGarden cried out, vainly attempting to keep her former partner from getting electrocuted by his own teammate.

If possible, the dragon slayer's grin widened as he turned to wrap an arm around her shoulders, forgetting his original task of teasing Laxus in favor of enjoying the small woman's presence. After the events on Tenrou Island, he had noticed the script mage was hanging around him more often, something he did not mind since it saved him the trouble of seeking her out himself. Levy had also become far friendlier with him; sitting close to him, hugging him on occasion, even willingly dancing with him at on point. Now, after being separated for three months while they trained for the Grand Magical Games, he was glad they had this time between event days to catch up on what they missed.

"Aw, come on, Shrimp," Gajeel began while pulling her close, "I'm just having fun."

"Yeah, and you're fun is going to put you in the infirmary with Wendy before you can even compete tomorrow." The bluenette scolded, pulling one arm away to wavy a finger in his face; drawing an amused chuckle from the man as he grabbed her hand with his while leaning closer so she could hear him over the ruckus in the bar.

"Alright, you win. Let's get a drink, then." He said, still grinning at the girl as he pulled her towards the bar to get them another round of drinks.

As soon as they had their mugs of beer, Gajeel pulled away to lead Levy back to the table in the corner her teammates and his Exceed were sitting at. Once they reached them, the iron mage threw himself down to straddle the bench with Levy sitting next to him with her back to the table. The dragon slayer wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the high that came with a Fairy Tail party, but he found he couldn't keep away from script mage as he kept one arm resting on the table behind her, lightly dragging his knuckles over the exposed skin of her shoulder, while also letting his other hand rest on her knee, teasing the skin there as well. The entire time his cat, Lily, sat on Levy's lap, giving him a knowing smirk as he watched the large man flirt with the girl.

As the night wore on, a few fights were averted, more alcohol was consumed, and Gajeel spent every moment he could with the bluenette, even as she got into an animated conversation with her blonde best friend about some book she had gotten while they were off training. Eventually the excitement began to wear down, and the iron dragon could tell Levy was getting tired as she leaned her head on his shoulder while watching Natsu take down another wishful opponent.

"I'll walk ya back, Shrimp," Gajeel leaned in to whisper to the girl, pulling her attention away from the cackling fire dragon slayer as she nodded and moved to get up. With a wave back to her still partying friends, he draped an arm around her shoulder to pull her toward the exit; Lily still happily held in her arms as they left.

The trio walked down the street to the hotel in silence, enjoying the relatively peaceful atmosphere of the street. Once they reached the building, Lily moved himself from Levy's embrace, flying ahead of the pair with a wave of his little paw.

"I'll meet you at the room later, Gajeel," he explained, sending his partner a sly grin before flying off.

"Whatever," he grunted back, trying to hold back yelling at him for such an obvious set up attempt, instead turning his attention to the slightly confused girl next to him. "Lead the way, Shrimp."

With a quick nod she moved towards the hall where she was rooming with her two teammates, Gajeel's arm still firmly wrapped around her shouldes as they walked. Upon reaching her room, Levy turned to face the large man, smiling up at him as she placed a hand on his arm as it dropped to her waist.

"Thanks for walking me back, Gajeel!"

"No problem," he said, grinning down at the girl while wrapping his other arm around her waist, pulling her in for a hug as he leaned in to whisper in her ear again. "Figured you must have missed me and wouldn't mind the extra attention."

Levy puffed out her cheeks at him in irritation, though she couldn't hold back her blush at the truth of his words. "To be honest, I didn't really have the time to miss you."

"Gi hee," Gajeel chuckled, understanding what she meant since he heard of her shortened training time because of a trip to the Celestial World. "That's what ya get for partying it up, at least that time chick helped ya out a bit."

"That time spell hurt, alright! Anyway, it wouldn't have happened if you had just let me come with you and Lily," she pouted back, turning away as he continued to chuckle at her.

"Nah, it woulda been worse if you came, plus I would've been distracted the whole time, so trust me, it was better this way." He reassured her; mentally kicking himself, though, for saying she'd be a distraction, hoping she didn't understand how she'd distract him. "Anyway, ya gotta go with Bunny Girl to the Spirit Realm; that had to be cool since no one's ever got to go there. Plus, didn't ya get a book or something, too?"

Levy's attitude immediately changed at the mention of her new prize; a book from the Celestial Realm. Her eyes lit up as she beamed with her overwhelming joy over receiving something that could not be found in Earthland. Her reaction had the dragon slayer chuckling again, nudging her slightly towards her door as he spoke again.

"Did ya bring it with ya?"

"Yep!" Levy cheered, turning in his arms to open her door, letting him follow her in so she could show off her gift.

Gajeel moved to sit on her bed while she fished through her bag for the book. As soon as she found it she moved to stand in front of him while handing him the large tome, a smile on her face as he took it and flipped through a few pages.

"Cool… I can't understand any of this." He admitted, setting the book to the side once he realized it was in another language. "What's it supposed to be about?"

"I'm still translating it, but it looks to be a book of spells for celestial wizards. Once I'm done with it I plan to give them to Lu-chan so she can hopefully use them." Levy explained, giggling slightly when the dragon slayer suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist again, pulling her to stand between his legs as she spoke.

"You're still incredible, ya know," he mumbled in slight awe, resting his head on her shoulder as he embraced her; her small frame making it easier.

"Thanks," she said quietly, returning his hug by wrapping her own arms around his neck. "You know, you're being awfully friendly tonight."

"I guess I had the time to miss you," he admitted, holding his breath after he continued. "Is it a problem?"

"Hmmm… no, no problem." Levy hummed back quietly, her heartbeat quickening with his words.

"Good," Gajeel breathed out before lifting his head up to face her, smiling at her blush, before moving to capture her lips with his.

The dragon slayer had no idea how things had gone the way they did that night, but he wasn't about to change a thing. Levy tasted too good as he spread her lips to plunge his tongue in her mouth. She felt too good as he pulled her against him, lying back on the bed with her atop him. She smelt too good as she overwhelmed his every sense while returning his passion in their embrace. Everything about Levy was good, or, better yet, it was amazing.

Things would never be the same for either of them after this, and Gajeel was more than happy with that as he flipped them over while trailing his kisses down her neck, relishing in the moans that escaped her lips. They were so tangled in each other's arms, hands feeling every soft curve and hard plane; it was a miracle they were able to stop at all that night. But after only a few short minutes, Gajeel's ears picked up the tell tale sounds of her teammates returning; their boisterous shouts carrying down the street outside as they continued to enjoy their drunken revelry.

"I gotta go, Shrimp," he mumbled with one last kiss, forcing himself to pull away from the pouting girl. "I can hear your fan-boys coming back; I'm guessing you don't want them finding us like this."

Levy merely nodded resolutely, pushing herself up off the bed after him as he moved to the window. As he began to climb out the window to jump down to the street below, he was stopped by a gentle hand on his arm. Gajeel turned back to the smiling, and blushing, girl who pulled him back in enough to kiss him one last time.

"I'll see ya tomorrow, Levy," he grinned, planting another kiss on her cheek for good measure, wishing her teammates had just passed out at the bar so they didn't have to cut their time short.

"Tomorrow," Levy agreed with a quick nod as she watched him leave. "Oh, and good luck in your game!"

"Thanks!" He hollered while dropping to the street, waving up at her as she poked her head out to watch him go.

Before he walked away, he heard her squeak of alarm that signaled Jet and Droy's return, followed by a door slamming shut as the men came in hollering her name.

"I'm in the bathroom!" Levy yelled back, causing Gajeel to chuckle as he realized she was left in quite a state after their make-out session; her hair tangled and dress askew.

"You break her heart you'll have to go through me," Lily's deep voice rang out as the flying cat landed on his shoulder.

"You and the entire guild," the dragon slayer grunted in agreement, turning to head back into the hotel to go to his team's room. "Anyway, you should probably be more concerned about it being the other way around once she realizes she's too good for me."

"Keep that mindset and you'll never have to worry about it," the black cat reassured with a pat of a paw on his face. "If she can like you after everything that happened in the past, I doubt she'd ever break your heart anyway."

"Gi hee," he chuckled, "Just more proof she's too good for me, but I can't imagine wanting it any other way."

So, with a grin on his face, Gajeel finally got back to his own room ready to get a good night's sleep. As he settled into his bed, ignoring the chuckles and giggles coming from his temporary roommates that had made it back before him, the iron dragon let himself drift to sleep with thoughts of his blue haired bookworms swimming in his head.

* * *

><p><em>With the members of Team B:<em>

_As Laxus and Mira made their way back to their team's room for the night, they were surprised to find only Lily in the room, his dragon slayer partner no where to be found. Both mages looked at each other in confusion before turning their questioning glances at the cat._

"_He's with Levy." Lily explained with a smirk, chuckling as Mira began giggling in excitement and Laxus rolled his eyes, though his grin gave away his own amusement at the recent turn of events._

"'_Bout damn time," the blonde grunted as he moved to change for bed._

_Mira nodded in agreement as her excitement began to bubble over, forcing her to jump around in small circles while clapping her hands._

"_Oh! I can't wait to tell Lisanna and Lucy!" Mira squealed, gaining more chuckles from Lily and Laxus._

"_Well, if you two are back, I'm guessing the others have started returning, too?" Lily mused, the take-over mage giving him a nod in answer. "I better go make sure he doesn't cause any trouble with her teammates should they walk in on them."_

_With that said, Lily quickly flew out the window, the other mages' laughing as they realized Jet and Droy probably wouldn't take it very well if they found out about the new relationship in that way. Only a few minutes later Lily returned with a still grinning Gajeel, causing the guild veterans to laugh even more._

_After a quick glance and nod to the young woman, Laxus figured they'd save their teasing for the next day, no need to distract him from his high if he still planned on competing in the next game. Hopefully his good mood will give him an extra boost for the game, after the first day they could use all the good fortune they could get._

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><p><strong>Author's note: Well, we certainly saw what happened for Gajeel the next day... poor guy... but I'm still sure that Levy's "nursing" him after his new found weakness.<br>**


	5. Fairy Tail Matchmaking Scheme

**Alright, another one-shot for ya! So, I guess you can call this kind of crackish, but at the same time, I can oddly see this happen considering who's in the guild. I also use the cliched and overused plot device of a thunderstorm... but it works so well... plus there's a bit of a twist on how I do it.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters, they belong to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

><p>"Hmmmmmm…." Lucy hummed to herself in irritation as she watched a certain pair of mages talking on the other side of the guild.<p>

"I agree…" the black Exceed, Lily, said from his spot on top of the table.

The two were currently sitting at a table watching their respective best friends, Levy and Gajeel; blatantly flirt with each other by the bar. The blonde mage and flying cat had formed an unofficial fan club of sorts for the would-be couple, and often times traded notes on any interactions the other might have missed. That day, though, after months of watching the two people dance around each other, completely oblivious to what everyone else already knew, the leaders of the 'GaLe Fan Club' were running out of patience.

Lucy began growling under her breath as she watched Gajeel tease Levy about something, placing a finger on her forehead as he leaned down to grin in her face. All the while, Levy just puffed her cheeks at him, a light blush staining them, as she glared and tried to bat his hand away.

"Seriously," the blonde muttered to her occasional partner in crime, "when they do something like that I just want to run up to them, and shove their heads together screaming 'KISS!'"

Lily nodded his agreement before glancing at the two older mages that had joined them in their obvious couple watching. Jet had sat himself next to Lucy, glaring at the couple as well, though not for the reasons most would think. He was the third to join the 'GaLe Fan Club', albeit grudgingly, and was getting annoyed with the never ending teasing. Next to the speed mage, his fellow Shadow Gear teammate, Droy, sat stuffing his face with a three layer cake (and I mean the whole cake). Droy had joined the club after admitting he had zero chance at gaining Levy's affections and decided that he would support her choice as long as she was happy.

"Maybe we need to light a fire under them?" Jet offered, momentarily turning his glare from the pair, who had begun a half hearted argument over who knew what, to glance at the girl next to him.

"Fire? I can do that!" Natsu hollered out, bounding over to the group and throwing himself into the seat next to Lucy, who knocked him upside the head once he was seated.

"Not that kind of fire! Idiot!"

"Yeah, the kind that involves locking them in a room and tying them to a bed." Lily agreed while Lucy snorted in amusement.

"Hmmm, I don't think we'd need to go that far," Mira mused, surprising the group with her unexpected appearance at the table. The eldest take over sibling had had her sights set on that particular couple since their return from Tenrou Island, waiting for them to get together just as patiently as the fan club has. "Though I do like the idea of trapping them in a room for awhile, I'm sure something will come out of that eventually."

"Juvia agrees," the former Phantom Lord water mage piped in, further shocking the original group. "Gajeel-kun is quite aware of his feelings for her, and Juvia guesses that Levy-chan is just as aware of her own. All they need is some time alone in the right atmosphere and Juvia guarantees something will happen."

"I don't know… They've spent plenty of time alone over these last few months, I think they _will_ need to be tied to a bed together before they finally get it." Cana joined in, having sat herself on the table with her half empty keg of liquor.

"Yeah, I mean ya'd think Gajeel would have made some sort of move by now," Gray agreed as he stood himself next to Juvia, already in his boxers, as he joined the growing watch party. "It's so obvious Levy's got a thing for him, he'd have to be pretty damn dense to not see it."

"You're one to talk, Gray," Lucy quietly mumbled, no longer bothered by all the people gathering around them.

"I'm sure a sword at his back would persuade Gajeel to do something." Erza thought aloud, gaining multiple sweat drops from the mages who knew she was quite serious about her idea.

"I- I really don't think that's necessary, Erza." The blonde told her nervously, terrified of possibly offending her by disagreeing. "Plus, it might be going a bit too far."

"I- I see…" The red-head mumbled, taking on a look of deep contemplation as she tried to come up with a better plan; one that preferably included threatening Gajeel with a sword.

"A man would have his woman by now!" Elfman shouted out, receiving a strong smack to the back of his head from Evergreen's fan as she joined the group with him.

"Not so loud, idiot!"

"Hmmm, maybe I could set some runes for them." Freed mused, glancing at Mira and her younger sister, Lisanna, who had joined with her brother and the Raijinshuu, to see if the matchmakers liked the idea.

"Haha! Might want to set them in a private room, though, unless you want the whole guild to watch that show!" Bixlow added, his flying dolls swarming around chanting their own agreements, or in some cases lewd comments.

"I don't think we'll need the runes," Lisanna remarked, turning to her sister for her agreement. "Levy'd just break out of them anyway. I think something… more natural, less suspicious, would be best."

"Hmmm, that's a good idea, Lisanna," the blonde spirit mage agreed, tuning out the random ideas being thrown around by other guild members that were trickling over to them. Lucy then turned her attention back to the dragon slayer and script mage, who still seemed oblivious to the fact that over half the guild was now crowding around one table, watching them like hawks.

"What are all you idiots staring at?" The deep voice of Laxus Dreyar rang out as he made his way over to his team and all the other mages at the table. Mira merely pointed at the pair by the bar, eliciting a snort of amusement from the lightning mage. "What? Aren't they together yet?"

"We're trying to come up with a way to finally get them to take that last step." Mira explained to her fellow S-class mage. "We think they just need to be stuck together for some period of time, but we need to make it seem as natural as possible so they don't get suspicious."

"Hmmm… natural, eh?" The blonde man surprised most everyone there by leaning against a nearby table, obviously deep in thought himself as he joined their group's planning.

Lucy couldn't hold back the sigh of exasperation as she looked around at all the wizards at her table, the table that only a few minutes ago sat her and Lily. The blonde girl once again glanced at the somehow still oblivious couple as she thought on what they could do.

'_With this many mages brainstorming you'd think we'd be able to come up with something.'_ She mused to herself before a proverbial light bulb went off in her head. _'Brainstorm? Storm? That's it!'_

"I got it!" She whispered loudly to the group, dragging in everyone's attention as she shared her plan. "Juvia, you can make it rain, right?"

The water mage nodded unsurely, she knew she could still cause quite the rainstorm, but she wasn't sure where her love rival was going with this.

"And Laxus; think you can help create some crazy lightning to go along with it?" Lucy asked, moving her attention to the elder mage who merely raised an eyebrow at her in question, though he nodded his own ascension. "Okay, Jet, I know you and Droy were supposed to help Levy pick up a large order of books tomorrow; back out of it so that Gajeel can help instead."

"Huh?" Jet asked in confusion, tilting his head slightly as he glanced at the couple, then back at the blonde, before looking at the couple again.

"We'll get him out and about with Levy tomorrow; then when they're on the way back to her place we'll have Juvia and Laxus create a huge storm with their magic. I'm sure we can even find Wendy and get her to help." Lucy quickly moved to explain, seeing everyone's faces slowly light up in understanding as she went. "If we time it right, they'll still be in town, and thus closer to Gajeel's, so they'll have no choice but to hide out there until it passes so her things don't get damaged. From there, we'll just let the storm keep going until something happens."

"So… I don't get to light anything on fire?" Natsu asked, pouting at his best friend when he realized he had no place in the plan.

"No you idiot!" Lucy whispered harshly, trying to restrain herself from hitting him again. "But, we could use your ears as we spy on them. So, how does that sound?"

Everyone in the group nodded in agreement before they all turned their attention back to the targets, most of them smiling knowingly as they took in what was sure to be the last moments of innocent flirting before they officially became a couple.

"What the hell are they all staring at?" Gajeel grunted as he and Levy finally turned their attention towards the guild. He wouldn't lie; seeing that many mages staring at him, like they were plotting something truly evil, sent a shiver down his spine. What made it worse was the fact that Mira, Lucy, and his cat were grinning at him; that alone told him to be on high alert. The bluenette merely shrugged from next to him, also feeling slightly concerned and suspicious of her friends' behavior at the moment. "And why the hell are they at one table?"

* * *

><p>The next day~<p>

"Seriously can't believe Speedy and Fatty actually had something better to do than help ya out today?" Gajeel grunted as he hefted the rather large box of books in his arms. "Normally nothing beats being your lap dogs and errand boys."

"Be nice, Gajeel." Levy scolded from beside him, skipping through the street as the large dragon slayer carried the entire load for her.

"What? It's only the truth, Shorty."

The script mage merely glowered at him before turning her attention to the sky as she heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"Hmmm, I didn't think it was supposed to rain today?" She idly commented as a raindrop splashed down on her forehead.

Gajeel grunted in agreement, absently sniffing the air as he took in some strangely familiar scents that were coming with the storm. Before he could think on the matter any more, though, the clouds burst open with a loud crack of thunder, pouring rain down on the pair stuck out in the open.

"Shit!" The dragon slayer hollered out, glancing around to figure out if they could make a break for the girl's dorm, or the guild, to hide out from the storm. Seeing they were still too far from both places he quickly turned them down an alleyway towards his own apartment; that just happened to be only a few blocks from their location. "We'll head back to my place for now, Shrimp, we're lucky it's not too far."

Levy nodded in agreement before hurrying to keep up, writing a quick spell for 'umbrella' to help keep the rain from getting them any more soaked then they already were. Neither of them noticed the group of mages following at a distance, all of which crowding under umbrellas as they moved in the shadows of the streets.

As soon as the pair made it to the iron mage's place, they quickly made their way in; Gajeel moving to set the books down on the rather cluttered kitchen table before moving into the bedroom, leaving a shivering and soaked Levy in the entryway. The girl stood there, taking in the sight of the main room filled with random odds and ends, most of which were metal and appeared to act as conveniently placed snacks. In the middle of the somewhat organized clutter sat a couch and coffee table, a bookcase set off to the side that actually contained a few books, and a small kitchenette. The clutter didn't really bother the girl, considering here own dorm room was overrun with books, and, if she were honest with herself, in a far worse state than the dragon's abode.

"Here." Gajeel's voice sang out, pulling Levy from her examination of the room, as he tossed a towel and rather large shirt at her, pointing towards a room to his left as he spoke. "Go ahead and change into that while yer clothes dry out, Shrimp."

"Thanks!"

The girl quickly found her way into the bathroom he had indicated for her, and changed into the oversized shirt after toweling off, tying the shirt at her thighs to try and keep it in place. After hanging her dress over the tub, she skipped out of the room and spied the dragon slayer lounging on the couch, munching on a piece of metal, and moved to sit with him when he waved her over. Levy noted as she sat that the large man had changed, as well; no longer sporting his normal feather shirt and scarf, instead he wore some loose shorts and a t-shirt.

"Might as well make yourself comfortable, looks like we'll be here awhile." He grunted, nodding towards the windows in the kitchen, where they could see the rain pouring down heavier than it had before with the sound of thunder crashes mixing in with the rain.

Levy nodded in agreement, not really minding being stuck with the man considering in her mind there were far worse things than being trapped in Gajeel's apartment, and certainly nothing better than it. With a small sigh she moved towards her box of new books, fishing out a random tome to entertain herself with before settling back on the couch.

The two found themselves sitting in a surprisingly comfortable silence, the iron mage happily eating while the script mage let her book absorb her attention. Unfortunately, once the dragon slayer was done with his meal, he began to feel bored, and when he was bored he became mischievous. Glancing at the small woman and her book, he moved to stretch his long arms across the back of the couch with a drawn out sigh, turning his attention to the ceiling when Levy glanced up at him. He watched from the corner of one eye as she turned back to the book in her hands before moving the hand closest to her to grab a lock of her hair. Again, the sudden movement had her attention back on him as she frowned in confusion, but he just kept his face turned up.

Gajeel was trying hard not to snicker at her obliviousness, though he was honestly surprised by how easily distracted she was from her book. Her strange awareness of his actions, though, was making his plans more difficult, and therefore more entertaining. So he waited again until she shrugged to herself and went back to reading, as soon as her eyes were on the novel, he began idly twisting the lock of hair he held around his finger. Once again he had to hold back his smirk when the small fluttering at the back of her head had her looking at him curiously, but he forced himself to glance at her, frowning as if he were annoyed at her looks. Apparently she saw through him but didn't say anything, instead glared at him for a moment before going back to the book.

Since the jig was up he figured it was a good time to go for what he had planned to do, and thus tugged on her hair, just hard enough to piss her off, but not enough that Levy would scream and hit him with her book- both of which were sure to hurt. She still shrieked, though, but it wasn't as loud as it could have been, and instead of the book, she just whacked at his arm with her small hands.

"Gi hee." He chuckled in amusement, grabbing Levy's hands with his other hand to keep her from hitting him.

"Gajeel, I swear you're like a kid sometimes." Levy whined while frantically trying to pull her hands free.

"Oi! Who ya callin' a kid, Shorty?" Gajeel teased again, tugging on her hair again as he spoke.

"Ahhh! Stop it, Gajeel!" She yelled, managing to get one hand free from the man's grasp to smack him lightly on his chest.

The iron dragon merely chuckled at her half hearted attempts at fighting him off before moving closer to her and grabbing her freed hand once again.

"I'm just having a little fun with you, Shrimp." He explained, grinning down at her as she pouted, her hands no longer struggling for freedom as she gave up against his strong grip.

"Fine, I give up. You win, Gajeel." Levy muttered while slumping against the back of couch, her head falling to rest on his outstretched arm.

"Gi hee."

"Still, you really do act like a kid when you're bored."

"Awww, you know you like it, though." He absentmindedly teased, letting his hand run through her soft tresses in apology as they sat there. He couldn't help but laugh again when she pouted up at him, but he did find himself curious about the blush on her checks. Gajeel didn't think much of it, though, as his attention was drawn to her protruding lip, a grin forming as he looked at her adorable pout. "Quit pouting like that or I'll bit yer lip off."

Levy didn't believe his threat; then again he had said it in a purely teasing tone, so she continued to pout at him. If it was even possible, she managed to push her lower lip out even more, causing Gajeel to chuckle at her stubbornness.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya." The dragon slayer muttered before quickly leaning down to grasp the appendage with his teeth, holding it tight as the script mage froze in shock at his actions. "Gi hee."

After only a few short seconds he relinquished his hold, moving away to grin at the surprised woman. His grin quickly turned into a frown, though, as he saw a drop of blood start welling up from her lip; obviously he had bit a little too hard. Without a second thought he swept in again to lick the wound, both in apology and in a vain attempt to help seal it; Levy still far too stunned to do anything about it.

When he pulled away again, Gajeel watched as the girl managed to pull one hand away from his loosened grip, gently placing her fingers over her lips as she stared up at him in complete shock. It was then that he realized exactly what he had done, twice. He wasn't one to blush, like she was, and he wasn't one to show his own surprise, like she was. So he opted on watching her absorb everything, waiting for her to hit him with a book for crossing a line, even if he was only being playful.

"Did… Did you just...?" Levy quietly muttered instead, searching his closely guarded eyes for any clue of what he was feeling.

"I bit you then licked the cut I made." He told her, turning his face away from her, before glancing at her somewhat saddened features from the corner of one eye. As he watched her eyes cast down to stare at their still joined hands, he felt her fingers start playing with his thumb in her nervousness, and he could see that she was trying to hide her disappointment. It was then that he decided it was now or never and pulled on her hair gently to get her attention again, moving to once again meet her glistening brown eyes.

"If you want I can make it be…" Gajeel said, trailing off as he glanced down at her swollen lips before looking at her once again wide eyed expression.

He didn't waste another moment before quickly claiming her lips in a searing kiss, pushing her down onto the couch as he engulfed her slender body in his strong embrace. Levy's shock had her hesitating for only a moment before she quickly began returning his affection, gaining a groan of approval when she tilted her head to deepen the kiss.

Before they could go much farther, though, Gajeel picked up what sounded like squealing from outside. Pulling away quickly, the iron mage peeked over the back of the couch, spying movement from the kitchen windows that opened to his fire escape. Narrowing his eyes, he signaled for the script mage to keep quiet before moving over towards the window. The sight that met his eyes had his annoyance fighting with amusement as he moved to open the window and greet the would-be spies.

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><p>Outside the iron dragon slayer's window sat a large portion of Fairy Tail's guild. Lucy sat on the fire escape, cradling a visibly shaken Lily in her arms, while Natsu sat next to her giving a play by play of whatever conversation he could catch. On either side of the two teammates sat Wendy and Juvia, who were still working with Laxus on maintaining the storm while watching for any action inside. Jet and Mira hovered above Natsu and Lucy, Cana balanced herself on the railing of the fire escape, and Erza and Gray stood at the back to watch. Laxus, his Raijinshuu, the other two take-over siblings, and Droy were relocated to the alley.<p>

"This is boring!" Natsu whined quietly as he watched the pair inside sit on the couch, the only thing to have happened was Gajeel eating while Levy read.

"Shhh!" Everyone hushed the dragon slayer before turning their attention back inside, just in time to see Gajeel's first glance towards the small woman.

"Ooohhh… something's happening." Mira quietly squealed, leaning on Lucy's back to get a better view.

"Someone get Laxus to tone down the thunder for a bit, I can't hear much over it." Natsu mumbled, getting Erza to quickly signal the seemingly bored and irritated lightning mage to cut back on his magic. "Well, they're not saying anything yet, but he's definitely teasing her."

The group continued to watch, the mages closest to the window practically pushing themselves against the glass to not miss anything. When Gajeel tugged her hair, everyone outside had to suppress their laughter as the dark haired dragon slayer acted like a little kid with his first crush.

"Well, she just called him a kid." Natsu narrated the girl's comment that had mirrored their own thoughts. "Hmmmm… he just said something about biting her lip."

That had everyone gasping and turning all of their focus on the couple on the couch to watch as Gajeel made good on his promise. Mira and Lucy were silently squealing to themselves, the blonde holding the older mage's hand as they shared in their joy. When the dragon slayer moved away they all held their breath to see what would happen next. They weren't disappointed when he leaned back in and licked her lip.

"Interesting move." Lily mumbled, still feeling slightly frazzled even though the lightning had died down considerably.

When he once again pulled away, they all sat in complete silence to see if Levy would make a move or if everything Gajeel did was meaningless.

" 'Did… Did you just…' she says." Natsu continued to narrate. " 'I bit your lip then licked the cute I made,' he says."

They all took a deep breath, leaning in closer, even Erza and Gray had moved to lean atop Mira and Jet to watch.

" 'If you want I can make it be…' he says."

They all watched; gasping dramatically, as the dragon slayer practically pounced on the script mage, pushing Levy down as he finally made a move. Forgetting where they were, and who they were watching, the girls began squealing in joy, jumping up and down in their happiness. The men were laughing and high fiving each other, sending thumbs up to the mages down below that quickly joined in on the celebration. Cana raised her wine bottle in celebration, while Erza kept her eyes glued on the window, her face burning a bright red as her mind drifted to some rather dirty scenes from her romance novels.

"Shit!" The ex-quip mage suddenly called out before somehow getting everyone to duck down and out of sight. Luckily she had still been watching and had caught Gajeel sit up when he heard their celebratory shouts. "Shhhhhh."

Everyone held their breath while huddling down on the fire escape in the hopes that they weren't caught. When they all heard the window open, though, they gulped in fear as they realized they were in a lot of trouble.

"I knew I recognize yer rain, gloomy woman." Gajeel slurred out, leaning over the window sill to flick the top of his friend's head in reprimand. "And you, Bunny Girl, should've known you were up to something."

"Heh heh." Lucy laughed nervously, unfolding herself to come face to face with the dragon's sadistic grin.

"Hope yer prepared to be my dancer for a long, long time." He drawled, patting the blonde's head condescendingly before letting his eyes drift down to the black cat in her arms. Reaching out to grab hold of his partner by the scruff of his neck, he pulled the shaken and yet glaring panther inside the apartment.

"Lily…" He started, but realized he couldn't be mad at his cat, he was just too awesome. "Yer lucky I like ya. Now go cuddle with the Shrimp."

After gently setting the Exceed down so he could scamper over to the amused script mage, Gajeel leaned back out to take in who else was involved with this. He wasn't surprised when his eyes settled on the Sky Sorceress; he had recognized the scent of her sky magic in the wind.

"Ya even got the little girl involved," he grunted, pausing in threatening her as she looked at him with watery eyes and a quivering lip. The younger dragon slayer's puppy-dog eyes always did him in, just like Levy's did; he was a sucker for the cuteness, and everyone knew it. "Shi-… Wendy, don't go getting' involved in their stupid stunts again."

After the half hearted lecture he moved his attention to the rest, only leveling a hard glare at the speed mage to get him shrieking an apology, and sending a grin at Natsu and Gray that told the two men to be prepared for a good beating later. The long time rivals only shrugged before moving to head down to the alley; they already expected to get into a fight with him, so what if he actually had some sort of a reason for it now. Next he glanced at the drunken card mage, she was too easy, plus he really didn't want to piss off her dad, so she was safe at the moment. Last he looked at Mira and Erza, both of which merely sent him looks that shot shivers down his spine; he wasn't stupid enough to say anything to them.

"Alright, the only question I have is how the hell you got Laxus to help with the lightning?" He grunted at them instead, causing Mira to give him a confused pout before she glanced down at the subject of his question.

"I had this week in the betting pool." Laxus called up, a smug grin on his face as Mira's expression turned to shock as she looked at Cana for verification.

The card mage set her wine bottle down for a moment to pull out her betting notebook, shuffling through the pages to find the right one.

"Hmmm… Levy and Gajeel, Levy and Gajeel… should be around Natsu and Lucy." She muttered, drawing a surprised shriek and bright red blush from the blonde girl, while Natsu stood in the alleyway with a confused look on his face. "AH! Here it is!... Yep, it looks like he won."

"WHAT!" Mira cried out, quickly moving to grab the notebook and see for herself. "You beat me by one day!"

"Awww, don't be like that Mira!" Laxus called up to her, grinning as he thought of all the jewels he had just won. "I'll take ya out to dinner if it'll make you happy!"

Mira, to everyone's surprise, began blushing as she tried to stutter out some sort of response. Cana, in the meantime, quickly took the notebook back before Mira happened to find the multiple pages that focused on her prospects, particularly the one that included the lightning mage still grinning from below them.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. Now, will ya all scram so I can enjoy what I got from yer meddling!" Gajeel hollered at them.

The mages didn't waste any time in fleeing from the irritated dragon slayer. Gajeel, before slamming his window shut, though, motioned for Cana to come over to him.

"What are the odds on Mira and Laxus?" He quietly asked her.

"Looking pretty good lately, before Freed had the lead with her, but Laxus has definitely made a come back since the guild games."

"Put me down for 1,000 jewels in the next week." Gajeel grunted before waving her away so he could slam the window shut. He figured it was only fair since he already had a few bets on Salamander and Bunny Girl, plus Juvia and Stripper.

"What was that about with Cana?" Levy asked him as he made his way back to the couch.

"Gi hee." He chuckled while settling himself back next to her, dragging her into his lap, Lily still in hers. "Got any ideas on how to get Mira with Laxus in the next week?"

"How much did you put down?"

"1,000."

"Hmmm, well, if it doesn't happen this week; I still have 5,000 jewels down on sometime during this month." Levy admitted, gaining a loud laugh from the man. Lily snorted in amusement since he too had a pretty good amount involved with those two for the very near future. "What about Lu-chan and Natsu?"

"Gi hee." Gajeel laughed before the happy new couple quickly got to work on making sure their own bets paid out, most of which, ironically enough, overlapped.

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><p><strong>Sorry for the somewhat abrupt ending... had a hard time deciding where to stop writing, lol. This probably could have gone on forever, honestly, but knowing my mind, I'd end up having to up the rating as I inevitably drift into the risque.<strong>

**You can tell Lucy's an author since she came up with the exact scenario so many of us fanfiction writers seem to enjoy, lol. And yes, I can't seem to help it, I love including Mira and Laxus in these fics... I don't know why... it just comes naturally for me I guess.  
><strong>

**So, review, please!  
><strong>


	6. Hiding Spot

**It's been awhile since I posted a one-shot here, so I figured I'd finally get this one out that's been in my head for awhile. It's pure fluff; pure, shameless fluff. :D**

**Very short summary: Levy needs a hiding place.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters, they belong to Mashima Hiro.**

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><p>He was just minding his own business, sitting at a table with his best friend, Lily, happily munching on a pile of iron, and waiting for Natsu's team to get back from their mission so he could beat the crap out of the other dragon slayer, and also Gray, for good measure. All in all, it was a good day for the iron dragon slayer, Gajeel Redfox.<p>

He never expected it to go in the direction it did.

"Hide me!" Levy cried out as she appeared at his table, practically crashing into him in her desperation to get away from whatever she was running from.

"Huh?" Gajeel intelligently asked as he continued to chew on his metal meal, though he did turn his confused red eyes to the bluenette to see the pleading look on her cute face.

"Just, please hide me, I'll explain later."

"How the hell am I supposed to- Hey! What the fuck are you doing, Shrimp!" Gajeel had begun to ask before shouting in surprise as Levy dove under the table and crouched between his legs, eliciting a deep chuckle from Lily who was thoroughly amused by the young woman.

"LEVY!" Two men called out as they entered the guild in a rush, obviously the reason the small mage was trying to hide.

Gajeel could only frown as he glanced over at the other two members of Team Shadow Gear as they ran around the guild searching for the supposedly missing girl, while Lily jumped down to stand on the chair next to his and look at the girl expectantly. At this point the dragon slayer didn't really care why she was hiding from her team, he seemed to have a knack for inserting himself between the two men and the woman, pissing off the fan-boys while simultaneously stealing Levy's attention for himself, so he was perfectly fine concealing her at that point- as long as Mira didn't catch sight of where the bluenette decided to sit.

"It's been mission after mission after mission," Levy suddenly whispered, resting her hands on Gajeel's thigh as she peeked up at Lily, answering the cat's silent query, "I just really need a break. I mean, I love them, they're my best friends, but I really need some time away from them."

Gajeel's scowl deepened as he listened to her, his eyes still following the men as he sat there, trying to look as normal as he could with a cute girl sitting between his legs. Lily, for his part, could only chuckle some more before jumping back on the table, sending his partner a sly and knowing grin as he did show.

Sometimes he hated how much that cat knew.

The iron dragon let his hand drop down the girl's head, holding back his smirk when he heard her squeak in surprise as his large palm pushed her down further. While his long black coat helped conceal her position on the floor, her blue head of hair was still noticeable if someone stood next to him, and seeing as Jet and Droy were now making a beeline for him, he needed to make sure she was perfectly hidden away. Looking completely natural, Gajeel leaned over the table; resting his head on the palm of his other hand while angling his body to keep the two men that had just reached him from seeing under the table.

"Gajeel, have you seen Levy?" Jet asked, his gaze still sweeping over the guild as he waited for an answer.

"Nope," was all Gajeel gave in answer, seemingly ignoring them as he popped another piece of iron in his mouth.

"Really? I know we saw her heading to the guild, are you absolutely sure?"

"Positive."

"Damn," Jet cursed after Gajeel's last grunt, slumping into a chair at the table next to his. "Well, I'm sure she'll be by eventually, we'll just wait here for her."

The speed mage's comment gained a nearly silently groan from Levy, forcing Gajeel to hold back a snort of amusement as he felt her slump against his thigh in defeat. Instead he just playfully tugged on a strand of her hair before laying his head down on the table to take a nap; he figured they'd be there for a while, so might as well catch up on some sleep in the meantime.

Hours later, Gajeel awoke to a grinning Lily, the cat obviously still amused by what had happened earlier. With a frown of annoyance, the dragon slayer looked at the table the other members of Team Shadow Gear had been seated at, but found it empty, the two men having given up their wait as he slept.

"Have a nice nap?" Lily asked; his sly smile still plastered on his face.

Gajeel grunted in reply before peeking underneath the table at Levy, who had managed to nod off herself as she used his thigh as a pillow. He couldn't help but think she looked extremely adorable at that moment, sleeping soundly tucked away between his legs, obviously feeling safe with her dragon guard. Unfortunately he was just realizing how horribly cramped his body had become sleeping in that position for so long, and that meant he had to wake the girl and bring her out of hiding so he could stretch.

As he grinned down at her, he poked her cheek with a finger, snorting in amusement when she only groaned and swatted his hand away. That didn't deter him, though, as he continued to poke at her face until she groggily opened her eyes to look at him.

"Wake up, Shrimp," he quietly commanded, "coast is clear."

Her squeak of surprise had Gajeel chuckling as he watched her blush and nod, moving out from her hiding spot and allowing the dragon slayer to stretch his stiff limbs.

"You owe me, ya know," he teased, turning around in his seat to look at her as she stood next to him, taking the time to stretch her own muscles out.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Levy answered with a thoughtful frown that only served to widen Gajeel's grin.

The grin was wiped away seconds later in surprise, though, as Levy quickly leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek, pulling away as she blushed heavily. Lily continued to sit next to them, chuckling as his partner's mouth hung open in shock, obviously not having expected that kind of thank you from the girl.

Unfortunately the coast wasn't quite as clear as Gajeel originally thought it was.

"LEVY!"

The poor girl's eyes widen considerably as she spun around to see her two teammates come running over to the table in the hopes of stealing her away. Luckily Gajeel shook himself out of his stupor fast enough to stand and prevent the men from crowding her too much, letting his imposing aura intimidate them enough to keep a few feet of breathing room for Levy.

"Levy, we found a great mission! If we leave now we can still catch a train and be there by the morning," Jet told her excitedly as Droy held out the poster for her to read.

"Ah, guys, I really need a break," she tried to inform them pushing Droy's hand away while fidgeting nervously over their reaction. Unfortunately they didn't hear her as they continued to go on about the mission which somehow descended into a fight over who would sit next to her on the train.

"She ain't goin' anywhere with you guys," Gajeel growled in irritation, annoyed at their constant arguing over their partner.

"What do you mean; of course she is!" Jet yelled at the dragon slayer.

"No, she ain't," he grunted while throwing his arm around the girl's shoulders and pulling her into his side, "she's hanging out with me tonight, so you two can scram."

"What?" The male members of Shadow Girl hollered in unison, looking between the heavily blushing girl and the iron mage who had attached himself to her; Lily continuing to chuckle on top of the table beside them.

"Ah, yeah," Levy started, glancing up at Gajeel, unsure on what he was thinking, "he, ah… I mean, we… ah…"

"She's coming over my place to cook me dinner to repay me for a favor," he explained for the girl, grinning evilly at her before turning to usher her out. He couldn't help but glance at the looks of utter defeat on the men's faces as they slumped to the ground; that was always his favorite sight to see when it came to this particular team.

"Thanks again, Gajeel," the bluenette whispered, drawing his attention back down to the once again blushing girl still tucked against his side.

"No problem, Shrimp," Gajeel answered, his grin widening even more as he leaned down to speak quietly in her ear, "you're still making me dinner, with lots of iron."

"Yes, Gajeel," she answered with a sigh as they escaped through the doors of the guild.

"And I think your earlier thanks could have been a bit better, too," he continued once the doors were closed, chuckling when her blush deepened, "maybe we can work on that while we're at it."

"GAJEEL!" Levy's shriek of embarrassment carried into the guild, along with the iron dragon slayer's signature laugh, bringing an even darker cloud of depression over the dejected Shadow Gear members.

"Hey, aren't you going with them?" Jet managed to ask the Exceed that was left behind, still sitting on the table chuckling to himself.

"Nope, I've seen enough today," Lily informed him while sipping his mug of beer. "Oh, and I think I should crash at your place for the night."

Their loud wails of despair could be heard throughout all of Magnolia that night.

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><p><strong>Review please!<strong>


	7. Habits

***Peeks out for a moment***

***Looks around***

***Throws this at everyone***

***Goes back into hiding***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters, they are the property of Hiro Mashima.**

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><p><em>Habits<em>

_The sun was warm-_ was the foremost thought running through his mind as he leaned back against the brick wall, red eyes shut as he took in the peaceful atmosphere that was sorely needed after the week long mission he'd only just returned from. It was quiet and calm, save for the short bluenette sitting against the wall next to him reading yet another book.

At the back of his mind, he was still amazed by how comfortable she was sitting there with him. It wasn't just because of their early history, his crimes against her something he knew she had more than moved past; it was just the fact that he wasn't all that sociable a person to begin with, yet there she was never far from his side, perfectly content to sit in silence with him. Most people tried to drag him out of his shell, drive him nuts by talking about things he didn't give a damn about.

Not her, though; never her.

When they were like this, just the two of them- and Lily, of course- he'd always just sit and bask in her soothing presence.

She had this habit when she read sometimes; if the plot was really exciting or there was an especially intense moment that had her attention completely captivated, she'd start reading aloud. He was ninety-nine percent sure she had no idea she did it, and he had no plans to clue her in on the quirk anytime soon lest she actually _stop_ doing it. It was one of those things that just made her _Levy_.

That was exactly what she was doing right then. They had finished eating, and as he let a bit of lazy sluggishness overtake him, Levy just dove deeper into her book. It had started after a few minutes of silence; he heard her gasping, felt her squirming excitedly next to him. He smirked a little then, holding in the amused snort so it wouldn't disturb her. Then came the whispering of lines intermittently sprinkled in with her other noisy exclamations; at that point he was listening rather closely, curious to know what was happening that had her so enthralled.

He'd never admit it to anyone- except for Lily, _of course_- but he enjoyed hearing the stories she read, particularly the horror ones, like what she was reading now. The few snippets he'd hear when she'd start reading aloud, her mind gone and in a world he couldn't reach, always stole his attention to the point he later found himself buying a copy for himself to read when he was completely alone in his own home. Only Lily knew about his new found reading habit, though he suspected Levy was catching on judging by the number of books she'd _'accidentally'_ leave behind at his place once she was done with them. It was fine, though, he trusted those two to keep it to themselves, not liked he do anything to harm them if they let the secret slip, anyway.

As Levy read on, Gajeel found himself dozing off again. He was comfortable there, her sweet voice and rich scent lulling him in that peaceful spot they had found. Idly he felt a weight settling against his shoulder, that scent of ink and parchment getting stronger told him Levy had gotten closer. Her voice was soft again, drowsy, he vaguely thought he heard a yawn. He let out a small huff, a grunt to hide the chuckle he felt bubbling up as he leaned his cheek against her hair, feigning sleep at that point to keep her from over thinking the gesture too much. He didn't want her moving away out of fear, after all, not when the weight of her body against his felt so good.

As her mumblings became incoherent, and her weight against him got a little bit heavier, Gajeel slowly peeked open an eye to glance down at the girl next to him. While his face looked stoic and uncaring to any who may see them, inside his head he was smirking at the sight of her relaxed and sleeping face so close to his own. The book in her hands was held in a loose grasp, about to fall shut until Lily gently eased it from her grip and quietly climbed into her lap while handing the small tome to his partner.

Gajeel reached out to take it with one hand, trying as best he could not to move too much and wake the young woman up; he then found her bookmark and set it in place so she wouldn't lose her spot. With a quick glance at Levy to see she slept on, he sent a cheeky grin down to the Exceed curling up in her lap before leafing forward to the beginning of the book.

With Levy still nestled against his side, his head comfortably laying on hers, Gajeel began to read to himself. He had a long way to catch up to the Shrimp, after all.

He didn't notice it when by the second chapter he'd taken to reading aloud, just as Levy did, and he was much too enraptured by the story to notice the sweet smile on Levy's face as she listened while feigning sleep herself.

It was a good thing she brought an extra bookmark.

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><p><strong>Okay, so, real author note down here.<strong>

**First of all, if you haven't noticed by now, I changed my pen name from DemonLover8115 to Kagehime3. Why? Well mainly to keep in line with my tumblr and lj accounts, but also because I had hated my pen name from the moment I started writing my own fanfiction as opposed to reading it. So, I wanted a change before I came back here, just to freshen things up.**

**Second of all, and probably the most important to all of you, I'm starting to feel that fanfiction muse come back. It's started with my One Piece stuff (working on a multi-chapter over there, btw) and last night this cute little drabble idea popped into my head and wouldn't let me sleep. I blame it on all the GaLe art I've been staring at on tumblr, and most of all the FANTASTIC cover from chapter 319 (if it wasn't obvious). Now, what does this mean for my faithful readers who have been eagerly awaiting my return? (particularly those who were even sweet enough to worry about my life- seriously, I love you guys). Well, my Fairy Tail muse isn't quite there yet, I was actually very surprised I got this much in my head. But, it's very much trying and Kurogane has been nagging me intensely because I really hate seeing it sit like it has without any love from me. While the majority of my writing attention is currently focused on my One Piece fic, I do at some point intend to go back and re-read what I have for Kurogane and hopefully get that going again. I'm afraid that with how long it's been, that I may have lost sight of where I was going with it (which was pretty vague to begin with, but whatever), but I very much want to give it a definitive ending, it'll just take some more time and more effort on part.**

**So there's that news for you all.**

**On one last note, as I mentioned with my pen name, I have a tumblr for those that may not have known. The URL is kagehime3 for the main page where I am constantly reblogging fandom stuff (okay a least 90% of it is Trafalgar Law, I'm a fangirl, all right!) and then kagehime3prompts for my side blog dedicated to taking requests (which I'm not at this time, but feel free to submit some just understand I might not get to them for a while- if you don't see anything and don't hear anything from me then there's a good chance I'm saving to do it when I have the muse for it). Anyway, you all are more than welcome to message me there with questions, I'll periodically posts updates and random asides as I write so it's the best place to get updates as long as you're willing to sift through the fandom posts.**

**So, hurrah! I spit out some GaLe for the first time in nearly a year. I'm so proud of myself.**


	8. A Red Tinted Winter

**Merry Christmas to all my fellow GaLe fans! I'm jumping on the bandwagon and doing a festive one-shot for you all as a little present. This idea actually came to me this morning while I was on tumblr- all the cute GaLe Christmas sketches just called to me, but especially the one by black2sun2 (I've reblogged it on my tumblr so if you hunt for it or just go to their page to see it). Anyway, enjoy the extreme levels of fluff I crammed into this piece. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters, they belong to Hiro Mashima.**

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><p><em>A Red Tinted Winter<em>

Snow was falling over a peaceful Magnolia, the perfect setting for the holidays as Levy wandered from shop to shop in search of some last minute gifts. Bundled up in a warm lavender coat and matching knit hat, the young woman looked up at the sky and took in the clean scent that came with the winter. Feeling a warm body brushing against hers brought Levy's attention from the weather to her frowning company, a small giggle escaping her throat as she beamed up at Gajeel who didn't seem as enthusiastic as she was. She knew otherwise, though, he didn't mind accompanying her on her shopping; he just refused to show it.

"Thanks for coming with me today," she chirped to break the silence, and pierce through the half-hearted glare he had been sending her as she laughed at his surly exterior.

Gajeel gave a small grunt, but nodded as he pulled his black coat around him tighter as the wind picked up. She tried not to blush when he leaned in a little closer as they walked, sharing his warmth with her whether he realized it or not. "Had nothing better to do, anyway, and I had my own shopping to get done."

It was true; he already had a few small bags hanging from an arm, his hands buried in his pockets to keep them warm. She knew that the majority was for Lily, but he wouldn't let her peek at a couple of things, making her suspicious and excited, even though she knew she probably shouldn't be. While they had quickly become good friends since Gajeel first joined their guild, Levy didn't think it would go beyond that. Despite her own feelings for him, and the hints that he might share them, it seemed to stagnate before developing into anything more. They were comfortable where they were, though, they were close; they each knew the other cared, but neither was ready to make a move into something more. Levy tried to tell herself she was fine with that, that if it was right, if it was meant to be, then it would happen.

The sound of Gajeel sniffing the air next to her brought Levy out of her silent musings, her eyes glancing at him to see that he had come to a stop in the street, having caught a scent that sparked his interest. "Gihi," he chuckled suddenly as he looked down at her, grinning as he motioned for her to follow him. "Let's get something to warm us up, Shrimp."

She blinked for a moment, but immediately smiled back at him, nodding her agreement before turning to cross the street with him. After crossing over the canal running through the street they were on, Levy started smelling it then- the rich scent of hot cider lingering in the air. In a few minutes they were standing at a street vendor's cart, waiting in line with other shoppers who had been enticed by the scent like they had.

"Two ciders," Gajeel grunted as soon as it was their turn, his eyes scrutinizing the menu board for a moment before glancing down at her again. "You want anything to eat while we're here?"

Levy hummed in thought before answering cheerfully. "A pumpkin spice croissant, please."

"You heard the lady," he told the vendor, handing him a few jewels while waving Levy off as she tried to pull out her own share. "On me this time, Shrimp."

She huffed but didn't argue, instead thanking him brightly as he handed her one of the cups and her food before ushering her over to a small table nearby. Levy tried to shake off the odd feeling that it almost seemed like a date, trying to focus on the delicious pastry and her drink even as she felt Gajeel's leg brush against her own from time to time under the table while he silently drank his cider next to her. She was just happy she could blame her blush on the chilly air hitting her cheeks, though she knew he would never question the pink tint to begin with.

As she pressed a cool hand to her cheek, she glanced over at Gajeel, catching sight of his ears poking out from his long mane of hair. They were red, and she knew it wasn't for the same reason her own skin was red, the man never one to blush. The idea of him blushing immediately brought an amusing image to her mind, and she couldn't help but giggle a bit, drawing his attention to her as his red eyes slid to her, narrowed and confused by her cheerfulness. "What?"

"Nothing," she answered, shaking her head as she tried to cover her mouth and stifle her laughter.

Gajeel grunted, but didn't press her for details, instead reaching over to help himself to the last bite of her croissant. When she shrieked indignantly at him stealing her food, he just laughed before reaching out to rub his hand over her head, messing up her hair and the hat covering it. Levy pouted for a moment, and then proceeded to return the favor by rustling her hand over his bare head messing up his longer mane with a loud laugh.

"Oi!" He shouted, his tone sounding threatening to anyone but her, but she knew it for what it was- playfulness. She jumped up with another loud shriek of laughter before he could grab her, taking off down the street with him not far behind her.

Her merriment was cut off when she hit a small patch of ice, though, crying out as she felt her feet sliding out from under her. She braced herself, expecting to hit the cobblestone street hard, but found her fall stopped by two arms wrapping around her from behind, catching her before she even came close to the ground.

"Careful there, Shrimp," Gajeel's voice lectured, his own amusement gone as he helped her regain her footing. Her entire face was bright red from her blush as she turned in his hold, placing her hands on his chest as she sheepishly glanced up at him and nodded her thanks. "You alright?"

"I'm fine. Thank you, Gajeel." She answered quietly, looking away as he grunted in return and slowly released her again so they could go back to their shopping. As she turned to move back to his side, she was surprised to suddenly see him offer her his arm.

His hands were still tucked in his pocket; his shopping bags on the arm opposite her while he nudged her with his free arm, hinting that she take it. She blushed again, idly wondering if there was any blood in her body not going to her face that day, and silently wrapped her small hand through the crook of his elbow. Gajeel didn't look back down at her, his gaze fixed on the street ahead while he pulled his arm back in closer, her along with it, and continued to walk in peace past the other shops.

They both sank into the silence then, neither really wanting nor needing to speak to maintain a comfortable air. It was always that way with them, the long pauses in conversation never awkward as they just enjoyed each other's company in that time. Levy slowly calmed down again as she casually looked into the windows of the shops they passed, mentally ticking off who she still needed to buy presents for. The only one left was Gajeel, and she was fairly stumped on what to get him other than more metal to eat.

That was when she saw it.

Tugging Gajeel to a halt, Levy pulled away to start heading into a small clothing shop. As he began to follow after her, though, she stopped in the door and turned to face him. "You stay out here." She ordered, pointing a finger up at him as she tried to remain as serious as possible and not smile in excitement. He frowned, opening his mouth to protest being forced to wait out in the cold, but she cut him off. "Nope, I don't want you peeking at this one."

He glared at her for a minute before standing up straight while looking away with an agitated huff. "Don't take too long or I'll leave ya behind."

His empty threat had her beaming again, and she immediately bolted into the shop, already knowing exactly what she was going to buy. After a few minutes she came back out to see him standing against a wall under the shop's awning, his eyes shut until he noticed her coming up to him. Peeking open one red eye, he glanced at her smiling face, then the new bag held on her arm, and back up at her face.

"Oi, what'd ya get?" He questioned without hesitation, obviously curious since he had been left behind.

"Nope, it's a surprise," she teased, holding the bag against her chest as if to protect it. That only had him frowning more, glaring at the bag as if it had personally offended him.

"I'll let ya see one of the things I got earlier," he offered, something that had Levy raising an eyebrow as her own curiosity was piqued, her eyes casting down to his bags as she thought.

"Not the stuff for Lily, right?" She had to clarify; otherwise he might cheat and show her what she'd already seen.

"Nope, just the crap I wasn't letting you see."

Levy hummed in thought, but it was mostly for show since she was actually very eager to give him his present. After a long moment, she nodded in agreement and then gave him a slightly mischievous look as she pointed at him again. "Alright, but you have to close your eyes first," she ordered, trying not to laugh at his confused expression before going on, "and you have to bend down a little bit."

That had him even more confused, but after a moment he complied, bending down until his head was level with hers and shut his eyes. As she rustled through her bag for the gift, she glanced up to see him peeking at her and immediately clutched the bag against her chest again. "Ah-ah! Eyes shut, no peeking, Gajeel!"

"Fine," he growled lowly, once again closing his eyes and waiting for her to pull out her gift.

He was surprised when he heard her come closer before feeling something being pulled over his head, his face scrunching in confusion as he waited for her to finish messing with his hair to get it in place. He was almost regretting agreeing to this, wondering if she had gotten something altogether silly and humiliating to tease him with.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now!"

She watched as he slowly opened his eyes, but didn't stand up straight immediately, instead taking the time to pull at whatever was on his head to take a closer look. It was a dark red knit bandana, holding back his long mane of hair while also covering his cold ears that he had been ignoring the entire time they were out.

"I noticed your ears were looking a little red from the wind," Levy explained, a light blush staining her cheeks as he examined it, "and you've been wearing more bandanas lately, so I thought you'd like a thicker one for the winter."

She was right he admitted to himself, he did like it. Perfect color, a style that suited him; the girl knew him well that was for sure. Before he could voice his gratitude, though, he was stopped by the sound of passersby cooing at them.

"Oh, look at the lovely couple standing under the mistletoe," an older woman's voice crooned to her husband. "Remember when we were that young and in love for the first time.

The pair of mages both went wide eyed in shock before slowly casting their gazes up to the awning above them where an innocent little plant was hanging. Neither of them could move at that point, Gajeel still awkwardly bent down at his waist, while Levy fidgeted slightly, cheeks on fire with her blush as she wondered what to do.

"Don't be shy you two!" Someone else called out, breaking the spell for Levy as she looked back down to Gajeel's face.

Her nervous groan brought his attention back to her, just in time to have her take his face between her hands and pull him in for a short chaste kiss. His eyes went wide with shock again and he almost forgot how to breathe as he mindlessly returned the gesture before she pulled away. He stood there for endless moments, watching her rub her cheeks to hide her blush, the cheers from the shoppers around them not making it to his ears as he just focused entirely on her.

Finally, as the crowd dispersed again, he stood straight, clearing his throat and reaching into one of his bags as if nothing had happened. Levy still wasn't really looking at him, her embarrassment at being so bold causing her to ignore him as she sunk into thoughts questioning what came over her to just act like that. She was sure things would be awkward between them now, at least until it passed. Gajeel might just brush it off as nothing, he's better at hiding his thoughts and emotions, but Levy knew that she wouldn't be able to really face him for a while without breaking out into a blush and acting like an idiot.

She was surprised when she suddenly felt a soft scarf being wrapped around her neck, her eyes snapping to Gajeel to see him draping the fluffy orange cloth onto her, his expression completely unreadable then. It was her turn to blink in shock for a moment before raising a hand to take hold of the accessory and examine it, running her hands over the material in her favorite color. When she looked back at him again, about to thank him for the present, she was thrown when she felt his warm lips pressing to her own again.

"Gihi," he chuckled at her wide eyes as he pulled away, "that's what ya get for stealin' the first kiss like that, Shrimp."

As she let out a mortified shriek at his teasing, burying her bright red face in the folds of her new scarf, Gajeel only continued to laugh before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in for a tight hug. "Thanks, Levy," he said quietly, his head pressed against hers as she burrowed against his chest, still trying to hide her face from him. His sincere words, though, quickly calmed her down and she began to slowly unfold her arms that were trapped between them to wrap around his waist and return the hug. She nodded against his chest, humming in answer as she sank into the warm embrace, not really wanting it to end.

"Come on, let's get back to the guild," he said while slowly pulling away to look down at her blushing face. "I've gotten everything I need here."

She nodded again, unable to find any words to answer with still, something that had him chuckling as he moved beside her. He kept one arm wrapped around her shoulder as he maneuvered her back through the streets toward their guild, his face smug as he listened to her rapid heartbeat matching his own.

No other Christmas present was going to beat what they had given each other that day.

* * *

><p><strong>FLUFFY! So I hope ya like it, lol.<strong>

**Also, to answer a review I had in my Laxus x Mira fic about when I'll be updating this one-shot dump: This fic doesn't really have a set schedule, it's just filled with little stories I come up with that don't really fit anywhere else, so updates are extremely sporadic. Honestly, I'm kinda surprised I managed to come up with a Christmas story this year, so yay~ Surprise update for everyone!**


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